Meaning

(countable) Either of two plants of the Asteraceae family..

Definitions by Sense

1. (countable) Either of two plants of the Asteraceae family.
2. (uncountable, cooking) A coffee substitute made from the roasted roots of the common chicory, sometimes used as a cheap adulterant in real coffee.

Example Sentences

Endive—is another species of chicory, and a native of the East Indies. It was introduced into this country in 1548, is a hardy annual, requires a rich soil to secure its rapid maturity, and is blanched by tying up the leaves when it has attained its full growth. [...] It is used as a salad, ragout, or as a constituent of soups, &c.; and is considered very digestible and well adapted as a green vegetable for those who have delicate digestive organs.

The eating is beautiful; that must be allowed. Two soups, three fishes, five roast chickens, and a piece of veal, stewed with cherries; a dish of chops with chickory, and a meat-pie garnished with cockscombs— [...]

In yet others the whole mass of the florets, central as well as external, has assumed this ray-like or strap-like form; and to this group belong the dandelions, hawk-weeds, salsifies, lettuces, sow-thistles, chiccories, nippleworts, and cat's-ears.

The Coffee planters have invariably waged war against the use of Chicory, under the conscientious conviction that every ounce of Chicory consumed in England displaced an ounce of their Coffee in the market. [...] That the prudent, sensible, moderate use of Chicory has been abused, there can be no question; but the same remark applies to everything which has every been found useful in any branch of manufacture whatever.

Whatever be the discoverable properties and applications of the dandelion tribe of vegetables, our object in the meanwhile is to see what part chicory is made to perform in the preparation and sale of coffee. [...] Of the flavour of the pure infusion of chicory we have already spoken: it was that of a peculiar bitterish sweet, not very palatable, yet not positively distasteful. [...] The flavour of the mixed coffee and chicory infusion was at once recognised to be that which the beverage called coffee ordinarily has when well made, and which most coffee-drinkers, we should imagine, would prefer.

Chiccory, as gentlemen know, is a substitute for coffee, and is preferred by many people to coffee. It is recommended by physicians in many cases of nervous disease as a substitute for coffee for the use of those for whose nerves coffee is too violent, yet who are accustomed to that beverage when in health.

It is a very prevalent idea that the admixture of chicory with coffee is a decided improvement, and de gustibus non est disputandum [tastes cannot be disputed]; but the low price of chicory as compared with coffee is a strong temptation to increase the proportion of chicory to an undue extent.

Word Forms

• chicories
• chickory
• chiccory

Synonyms for chicory

Related Words

When Should You Use Chicory?

Use chicory when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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